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DMK-Congress Seal 2026 Tamil Nadu Deal: 28 Seats, 1 RS Berth Agreed

The DMK and Congress have finalized a seat-sharing agreement for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with Congress set to contest 28 constituencies. The deal also includes an allocation of one seat for Congress in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The agreement is a key step in consolidating the incumbent Secular Progressive Alliance ahead of the polls. The 2026 election is shaping up to be a three-way contest involving this alliance, the BJP-AIADMK bloc, and actor Vijay's new party.

Key Points: DMK, Congress Finalize Seat-Sharing for 2026 Tamil Nadu Polls

  • Congress gets 28 Assembly seats
  • One Rajya Sabha seat allocated
  • Deal strengthens Secular Progressive Alliance
  • 2026 polls set for three-way contest
2 min read

Congress shakes hands with DMK on seat-sharing deal to contest 28 assembly, one RS seat in Tamil Nadu

Congress to contest 28 Assembly seats and get one Rajya Sabha seat as DMK-led alliance consolidates for the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections.

"It was decided that the Congress Party... will contest in 28 Assembly constituencies - Joint Statement"

Chennai, March 4

Following the second round of seat-sharing talks ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Wednesday, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Congress Party agreed that Congress will contest 28 Assembly constituencies and will be allocated one seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

In a statement, party leaders said that the decision came following the meeting between the DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai.

"With regard to the upcoming 2026 Legislative Assembly General Elections, a meeting was held today (04-03-2026) between the President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Hon'ble Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, K. Selvaperunthagai, to discuss seat-sharing arrangements. It was decided that the Congress Party, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance, will contest in 28 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. It was also agreed that one seat will be allocated to the Congress Party in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election," the statement read.

The announcement comes after a second round of seat-sharing talks at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, attended by the Seat Sharing Committee of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee led by AICC Election In-charge Girish Chodankar, along with senior leaders, including Congress Legislature Party Leader Rajesh Kumar and AICC Secretary Nivedit Alva.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi were also present during the discussions.

The seat-sharing agreement marks a key step in consolidating the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, reflecting efforts to strengthen electoral coordination between DMK and Congress in the state.

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the incumbent MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.

In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively.

While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
28 seats seems fair for Congress given their current strength. But they need to put up strong candidates who can actually win, not just fill seats. The alliance's success depends on winnability, not just arithmetic.
K
Karthik V
With Vijay's TVK entering, the 2026 election is going to be very interesting! A three-cornered fight could split votes. DMK-Congress needs a very strong grassroots campaign now.
S
Sarah B
As an observer from outside, it's fascinating to see Tamil Nadu's political dynamics. The early seat-sharing shows a mature alliance focused on governance continuity rather than last-minute drama.
A
Aman W
The real test is whether this alliance can improve on the 2021 performance. Congress got 18 seats last time, now they're contesting 28. That's a big responsibility. Hope they choose candidates wisely.
M
Meera T
One Rajya Sabha seat for Congress is also significant. It helps in representing Tamil Nadu's interests in the central legislature. Overall, a pragmatic deal for the Secular Progressive Alliance.

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